You've probably never heard of these movies but Korea was definitely ahead of its time back in 70's.
1. APE (1976)
Korea's answer to KING KONG. I remember seeing the poster for the film on my way to school (I must've been 8 or 9) and was confused about it. I had just seen KING KONG (I was living on an air base and was able to see it before it came out months later commercially in Korea) Has a sequel already come out? Wait, it has a Korean cast, too.
Apparently, it's beyond terrible. Now that makes me want to see it even more.
2. Norhteast of Seoul (1972)
I've been telling people EXPATS will be the first American movie to be filmed entirely on location in Korea. Well, I was wrong. More than 30 years ago, an American movie was shot in Korea, starring Anita Ekberg (LA DOLCE VITA) and John Ireland (ALL THE KING'S MEN). Another obscure film... It's not even available on video. I'm just imagining what it must've been like to have Anita Ekberg in Korea. I'm thinking of the scene where she arrives in Rome and is greeted by the mob of reporters in LA DOLCE VITA. It must've been quite a scene.
One of the most notorious movies in film history. It was also one of the biggest flops of all time. It was controversial because Rev. Moon Sun-myung financed the picture. But how could a movie, starring Sir Laurence Olivier, Jacqueline Bisset, David Jenssen, Ben Gazzara, Richard Roundtree and Toshiro Mifune and directed by Terence Young (DR. NO), be so bad? What went wrong?
4. Abenko Green Berets (Abenko Green Berets - 1982)
A war movie directed by Im Kwon-taek of CHUNHYANG and CHIHWASEON. And it stars Vic Morrow of COMBAT. It was a big deal back then. A Hollywood star appearing in a Korean movie? He died soon after on the set of TWILIGHT ZONE - THE MOVIE.
5. Six Million Dollar Man
Before it was stuck in development hell for years, and before they were thinking of renaming the project Six Billion Dollar Man because of the inflation, the popular TV series was remade as a feature film in the 70's in Korea starring some GI. I actually saw this movie in a movie theater (I must've been 10 or 11) thinking it was a Hollywood movie. Then, I noticed the Korean license plates. Wait! Who's that guy playing Steve Austin? He ain't Lee Majors. What's going on? Isn't that Seoul? I've been trying to track the film down but can't find any info on it. Maybe it's my imagination that made this up and that it actually doesn't exist at all.
Those were the wild days of 70's.
Comments